Thursday July 21st
Alexander Robotnick [Fuzz Dance - Italy]
Simon Conway [electricity]
Admission: e10 / e8 members.
This Thursday sees the welcome return of the almost mythical Alexander Robotnick. He's been one of our most loved guests since we started and it's always a pleasure to have this gent back in Electric City. The sight of the 50+ Italo Disco legend singing, playing keyboards and laptop DJing was certainly one of our favourite nights since Electric City opened its doors. Over the past 12 months Robotnick has enjoyed an increase in his legendary profile with a Mix CD released for Yellow Recordings which features old and new electro gems from the likes of John Foxx, Visage, Casco, Tom Tom Club, Tiga, New Order, Bangkok Impact, Yello and many more. Earlier this year he began the Italcimenti project in order to re-construct the Italo sound - a sound that he says "makes your legs feel as heavy as cement blocks" ! This has seen an album and 12" come out on his own Hot Elephant label.
We can't wait to have the man back in the Electric City basement for an evening of Italo, electro and new-wave along with his own unique vocals on classics such as 'Dance Boy Dance', 'Problemes D'amour' and other tracks that have influenced so much of the electro world through the years.
Robotnick aka Maurizio Dami made himself known in 1983 with a few Italo-electro-disco singles such as Problèmes d'Amour or Les Grands Voyages de l'Amour. Those tracks released during the very beginning of the electro-dance music would bring him a passing fame in Europe. Robotnick is a cult musician for the electro buffs who immerse themselves again in the Eighties production. Kiko, The Hacker and a wave of bootlegs (about twenty up to today including one from Carl Craig) paid their tribute during last months. Yet, at this juncture, the unpredictable Italian is back to business with some new productions and a surprising and totally new live act/DJ set.
The Florentine blithely blends his own cuts remixed with the must in modern electro and that electro he simply contributed to fond in the early Eighties. Is there a Robotnick method? "Usually, I prefer dance music which makes more way to the melody and the originality of structures. I don't dislike house or techno as long as they are of good quality. But when I started to work with those kind of sound, I rapidly got bored because I found all that too cold". A common point with his new friends The Hacker and Kiko with whom he has started a new collaboration. As, on the melodic dimension of his compositions, the producer is intransigent as well when it comes to making his tracks known to clubbers. Beside, he intensifies this occupation "I've never thought seriously about deejaying because I'm not very cautious with vinyl. I developed my DJ set in April 2003 when I eventually managed to get a computer gear, which met my needs. This laptop Djing allows me to bring a musician touch in my sets and to play my own tracks live". That is an original aspect on the current electronic scene, strengthened by this fifty years old young fellow playing behind his desk, who is possibly the most reserved pioneer in the present electronic music scene.
Opening up proceedings will be Electric City resident, Simon Conway, playing some new and old electro and Italo Disco.
Electric City
Thursdays @ Traffic
54 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1
Doors: 11.00
Supported by Tiger Beer [www.tigerbeer.ie]
500ml bottles of Tiger - e4.50
Cocktails 2 for 1
Forthcoming Guests:
July 28th - e7 / e5 members
CJ Fitz [Horans - Tralee]
Dave Fields [Stylus]
August 4th - e10 / e8 members
Neil Landstrumm - LIVE [Scandinavia / Tresor / Peacefrog - UK]
Sunil Sharpe [Spindizzy]
Giles Armstrong [electricity]
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